TechTuesdays – Virtual Reality & Sports

Last week, during golf’s Masters Tournament, viewers were provided an enhanced viewing experience. Those with 4K televisions and service were able to view Amen Corner (Holes 11, 12, and 13) via the first tournament broadcasted in 4K video. But even more impressive was the debut of another next-gen viewing experience, Virtual- Reality (VR). VR content developer, NextVR “installed 360-degree cameras on tee-boxes and greens at popular holes 6 and 16, where spectators historically gather” according to a CNET article. These tech advancements are major changes for The Masters which has been reluctant to change over its 80+ year history. VR at sporting events may become the norm as NextVR continues to provide coverage for other sports such as NBA, NHL, NASCAR, Premier League Soccer, golf and boxing. NextVR signed a 5-year deal with Fox Sports to cover a host of events which may include NFL and Major League Baseball as well. The future of live-streaming is here now and for sports fans, it’s 360-degree immersive experience will surely come close to actually “being there”. With investments from the likes of Comcast, Time Warner and Dick Clark Productions totaling $30M, the future of VR looks bright.

This week on TechTuesdays, we’ll receive an explanation of Virtual-Reality from one of my favorite YouTube techies, Marques Brownlee.